Temporary storage receptacle for package wrappers



April 1967 J. H. HEKMAN 3,313,404

TEMPORARY STORAGE RECEPTACLE FOR PACKAGE WRAPPERS Filed Feb. 21, 1966 United States Patent ()tlice 3,3 HAM Patented Apr. ll, 1967 3,313,404 TEMPORARY STORAGE RECEPTACLE FOR PACKAGE WRAPPERS John H. Hekman, Wheaten, 111., assignor to Keebler Company, a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 529,124 2 Claims. (Cl. 2061) This invention relates to a temporary storage receptacle so designed as to readily receive, collect or accumulate and temporarily store articles such as sugar envelopes and wrappers for cigarettes, crackers and cookies, gum, candy, and the like, and which is readily emptied when filled without the necessity of having to remove the articles from the top of the receptacle.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide wrapper holding and emptying means in the form of a receptacle having a perforation in the bottom thereof smaller than an article receiving bore of the receptacle so that the shoulder formed by the transition from bore to perforation normally holds the articles against falling out of the lower end of the receptacle and onto a dining table or the like, but which is large enough to permit the insertion of an elongated object, such as a pencil, to force the arctiles out of the upper end of the receptacle when it is held in an inverted position, thereby readily emptying the contents from the receptacle.

Another object is to provide a receptacle so designed as to provide for the collection of material lightly wedged in the bore of the receptacle and for then being emptied by pushing the material through and out of either end.

A further object is to provide a temporary storage receptacle of the kind herein disclosed which has the advantage of keeping dining tables and counters in restaurants or the like tidy and neat in appearance by receiving wrappers which heretofore have been left on the table top or in ash trays. My receptacle thus prevents the wrappers from being inadvertently discarded in dishwashers which cause clogging and damage, and prevents the possibility of possible ignition which results in fire when wrappers are discarded in ash trays.

Still a further object is to provide a receptacle of the character disclosed from which there is easy disposal of its contents, the resilience of the wrappers serving to confine them in place and yet permit them to be discharged by the use of a knife, pencil or other elongated object.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists of the construction of a receptacle for the temporary storage of package wrappers and the like whereby the objects above contemplated are obtained as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in detail on the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a temporary storage receptacle for package wrappers embodying my invention and shows it in use.

FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof showing wrappers in the receptacle, a portion of the figure being shown in section on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the receptacle showing it in position for the discharge of its contents and the contents being discharged by the insertion of a pencil.

On the accompanying drawing I have used the reference character B to indicate a body which may be formed of wood, plastic, metal or the like and which as shown in FIG. 1 is vertically elongated. The body B has a base which as shown in FIG. 3 has a substantially flat base surface 10a adapted to rest on a table top or the like. The body B is tubular in character, being provided with a bore 12 throughout the major portion of its length which has an open end at the top. The marginal upper end of the bore is flared outwardly as indicated at 13 for a purpose which will hereinafter appear.

The lower end of the bore 12 terminates at a shoulder 16 slightly above the base surface 10a and the base surface is perforated as shown at 14, the perforation being substantially smaller in diameter than the bore 12.

My disclosed temporary storage receptacle is adapted for serving as an ornamental accessory to dining tables and the like and invites the deposit of wrappers such as are shown at 20 therein rather than the untidy discarding of Wrappers in ash trays and directly on the table top. Due to their resiliency the wrappers such as those found on crackers and cookies, and on cigarettes as Well as sugar packets may be readily crumpled and forced into the bore 12 which operation is facilitated by the flared portion 18 of the bore 12.

When it is desirable to empty the contents from the temporary storage receptacle it may be inverted as shown in FIG. 3 and the wrappers 2t) pushed out of the bore 12 as at 20a by using a suitable elongated member such as a pencil 22 for this purpose. It will also be noted that the perforation 14- is somewhat larger than the penoil. This permits forcing the wrappers out through this perforation if desired.

From the foregoing specification it will be obvious that I have provided a relatively simple temporary storage receptacle for package wrappers and the like. Some changes may be made in the construction thereof without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my invention to cover by the appended claims such modified forms of structure or use of me chanical equivalents as may be included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a temporary storage receptacle for articles such as package wrappers or the like, a vertically elongated body having an enlarged base portion for supporting said body on a table top or the like, said body having a bore extending longitudinally thereof and adapted to receive such articles, said bore having an open end at the top of said body and extending throughout the height of said body, the lower end portion of said bore being smaller in cross section than the remaining portion thereof to prevent free fallout of articles deposited therein, said 'body being opaque to conceal such articles deposited therein and said enlarged base portion having a thickened wall surrounding the portion of said bore therein to render said body stable when supported on a table top or the like.

2. A temporary storage receptacle in accordance with claim 1 wherein said upper end of said bore is gradually flared outwardly and merges smoothly with the remainder of thebore to facilitate the insertion of such articles thereinto and to effect compression of such articles as they are finger-pushed into said bore.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,007,042 7/ 1935 Duckett 20647 2,489,044 11/ 1949 Mumford 15 00.5 2,760,302 8/ 1956 Cheskin 2065 6 2,808,925 10/1957 ORielly 2060.82

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. WILLIAM T. DIXSON, 111., Examiner. 

1. IN A TEMPORARY STORAGE RECEPTACLE FOR ARTICLES SUCH AS PACKAGE WRAPPERS OR THE LIKE, A VERTICALLY ELONGATED BODY HAVING AN ENLARGED BASE PORTION FOR SUPPORTING SAID BODY ON A TABLE TOP OR THE LIKE, SAID BODY HAVING A BORE EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE SUCH ARTICLES, SAID BORE HAVING AN OPEN END AT THE TOP OF SAID BODY AND EXTENDING THROUGHOUT THE HEIGHT OF SAID BODY, THE LOWER END PORTION OF SAID BORE BEING SMALLER IN CROSS SECTION THAN THE REMAINING PORTION THEREOF TO PREVENT FREE FALLOUT OF ARTICLES DEPOSITED THEREIN, SAID BODY BEING OPAQUE TO CONCEAL SUCH ARTICLES DEPOSITED THEREIN AND SAID ENLARGED BASE PORTION HAVING A THICKENED WALL SURROUNDING THE PORTION OF SAID BORE THEREIN TO RENDER SAID BODY STABLE WHEN SUPPORTED ON A TABLE TOP OR THE LIKE. 